Alternative Schooling Styles : Waldorf

"Head, Heart, and Hands"

If there is a word for the most important ingredient here, it is "imagination." Waldorf schooling is designed to honor and protect the wonder of childhood. It stresses that children's beings do not come from environment or inheritance, and that they are more than brains and intellects -- they are also made of will and feeling. They are spiritual beings who should be nurtured to develop their "feeling intelligence."

This style lets children develop at their own pace. It brings them gradually and naturally into the adult world, guarding them against premature intellectual demands that may stunt their mental and emotional health. There is no homework until the fifth grade, and no letter or number grades.

The curriculum in a typical Waldorf school is similar to that of the classical or traditional styles: language, math, science, history, art, etc., except that there is more emphasis on the arts and on physical exercise. Students begin learning one or two foreign languages as early as first grade. Everyone plays at least one musical instrument, beginning on a stringed instrument in the third grade.

Lessons begin in the morning. As in Unit Studies, they are coordinated around a main topic, constantly seeking links between subjects. A teacher may spend a few hours or a few days on one topic. The curriculum requires that all pupils study all the subjects, to ensure a well-balanced individual.

Using the principle that people remember things better when they are excited about them, Waldorf teachers use children's imaginations to advantage. Storytelling and fantasy are used generously throughout the curriculum. Toys are strongly encouraged while imagination cripplers such as television, computers, or other electronic aids are discouraged.

Afternoons are devoted to art, movement, music, speech, handwork, and physical exercise. Movement subjects include eurythmy, gymnastics, and group games.

Though it is not specifically religious, it is based on Christian and Western humanistic principles. Children work, play, sing, and exercise together in groups so that they may develop a group consciousness. Competition is discouraged, and children are taught to work humanistically through their disagreements.

This style is teacher-directed, for use in private schools. It is for grades K-12, but it recommendeds that children wait to begin schooling until age 6 or 7. A teacher graduates along with her class, staying with them until about grade 8. This arrangement tends to build strong, lasting bonds between the students, families, and faculty members of a Waldorf school, leading to a stronger sense of community. Students switch to specialist teachers in high school.

Even though Waldorf students are unaccustomed to taking tests, the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) reports that students' SAT scores "have generally come in well above the national average, particularly on verbal measures."

Resources and Curricula